Website Re-Constructed

Jul 10, 2010
277
0
30
McAllen, TX
www.wix.com
I re-did my website somewhat. There are a few things I will stand firm on though.

Some things I won't change.

I WILL KEEP THE DESIGN
I WILL KEEP THE FORMAT

Some things I have changed thanks to everyone.

I HAVE RAISED MY PRICES CONSIDERABLY
MY PRICES AREN'T LISTED ON THE SITE ITSELF

Other than that, I was wondering if I could have some input.

http://www.wix.com/zecksteinz/z-magic

Thanks,
- Zac
 
Sep 2, 2007
1,182
119
31
Houston, TX
How far is McAllen from Houston?

One thing I didn't like about the site is that it's a wix address and has a bunch of wix advertisements all over the place.

I recommend checking out bandzoogle.com. It's what I used to create my website. www.magicbyrob.com
 
Jun 1, 2009
1,066
6
I like the little blurbs under the prices and time slots, it gives the client more of an idea of what they are getting. Maybe add a few testimonials? Rick Everhart told me that pics from events and testimonials from clients really help you get even more.

Jacob
 
Nov 20, 2007
4,410
6
Sydney, Australia
Red kills my eyes as well, or more specifically, the black text against the red.

However, if you're set on the layout, then at least consider standardising the font so that between pages, the text looks the same. Currently, the text is bigger on some pages than others and appears to be arbitrarily bolded, thus making it look unprofessional.

Also, I've spotted at least two spelling errors and a few awkwardly written sentences ("My Sevices" & "its the feeling"). Generally, professional performers will write in the third person on websites as well.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Apr 20, 2010
286
1
I know you said you're set with your format, but using a free site creator, let alone using flash at all, is extremely unprofessional and impractical. It won't work on many mobile platforms, and it's a resource hog on those that it does. I'd recommend a complete do-over without using flash at all, except for video embedding from youtube or whatnot.
 
Nov 15, 2007
1,106
2
35
Raleigh, NC
When browsing through the website I'm confused on what image you're trying to portray. When I think of Benji Bruce I see a nice suit with (more than likely) a purple shirt, he's charming and relaxed. When I think of William Draven I see his image, Victorian dress - skull emblemed hat etc...and I know his performance is going to combine the macabre with a dark humor you can't help but love.

When I browse your website I see you in a suit in the top corner (and in some pictures) but then when you're performing on your videos there are a lot of shots where you're in street clothes. Neither image is wrong, but which one are you aiming for?

If you want to be a suit wearing magician, get some footage and pictures of you performing in that attire.

The red puts my eyes off as well, consider a different shade of red, or a different color all together.

One other small thing you should consider,
15 - 20 Minutes
This is if you need a nice filler in any event like a banquet, buisness party, etc.
...your magic should never be considered 'filler', even if it is only 15 minutes worth of entertainment. Eric Mead was brought on to the TEDMed talks to do short demonstrations that included magic to break up the longer, fuller ideas in 2009. His performances weren't 'fillers' just entertainment breaks.

Speaking in the third person, or even having someone else re-write the text wouldn't be a bad idea. Make friends with English majors, or go ask your high school English teachers to help you out.

Edit::
I think taking out the "(but probably a lot quicker than that!)" from your contact page will create a more professional appearance. If you can get to my needs so quickly then you're obviously not busy with someone else's needs...are you worth my time to hire if you have such time to spare...
 
Jun 1, 2009
1,066
6
When I browse your website I see you in a suit in the top corner (and in some pictures) but then when you're performing on your videos there are a lot of shots where you're in street clothes. Neither image is wrong, but which one are you aiming for?

I see your point, but how practical is it to do street magic (not busking) in a full suit? I wear my street clothes when I'm performing in the street, I dress a little nicer when I'm restaurant working, and I dress up even more when I'm doing a birthday party or other event. It kind of depends on your situation, you know?
 
Jul 10, 2010
277
0
30
McAllen, TX
www.wix.com
Hey everyone! I made some more changes.

I MADE MY MAIN FONT COLOR WHITE
I CHANGED UP SOME PICTURES
I ADDED A PAGE DESCRIBING WHAT I DO EXACTLY (Meant for lay people not magicians so it isn't exactly correct)

Check it out please!
 
Aug 2, 2008
496
0
Cincinnati
I personally think the blurb under My Show is not written well. It's seems redundant about the Mentalist aspect. I too am not a fan on the red personally. Also, the way the pictures are laid out in your gallery is a bit annoying. Just some initial thoughts as I glanced through. Good start though!
 
Jun 1, 2009
1,066
6
I agree with the redundant statement about "my show." Are you just a mentalist? Because that's all I got out of it, in like 3 different ways. You have an about me, and a home page, those should talk about what kind of magic you do. The "my show" part should describe the show. Are those the only effects you do? Give more details about what kind of magic you perform (mental, visual, storytelling, you get the idea).

Jacob
 
Jan 29, 2008
111
1
Zac,

Do you plan on getting a normal domain instead of the free one? If you want to book gigs then you have to look like you're already booking them...it starts with a normal website like ZMagic.com instead of the Wix website.

The main problem with the website is that there is no "direction"...you don't have a target audience. It says you're a magician but who do you want to perform for? Company events? Kid parties? Trade shows? Your first step is to define your market. Many magicians make the mistake of trying to perform for every market (kid shows, festivals, company events, colleges, trade shows, etc). But if you were having a trade show then who would you hire....a magician who says he does all the above or a magician who says he is the top trade show entertainer in the world?

So your first step is....define your market.

Once you define your market, you need to create a "profile" of the person in that market. For example, lets say you want the kid show market. You create the "average" mom. Her name is Lily. Lily has 2 kids and one of them is having a birthday party. She hasn't hired a magician before and doesn't know what to expect. She doesn't know how much it will cost but she wants someone who is local. Lily works really hard and always feels like she is multitasking...etc etc etc.

You create the profile of the average person in your market and this profile allows you to create the text/copy on your website.

Right now, your home page says "Hello everyone...I hope you're having a wonderful day." That doesn't create a desire to hire you. It doesn't give them any information, etc. If you wanted to do kid shows then you would start by saying "Hi, you came to my website because you're looking for a local magician for your kid's party." (and they think "I sure am")

The Text on your website:
People do not read websites...they scan (this has been researched a lot by copywriters). You want the important text on your website to stand out. Take a look at my website (www.benjibruce.com) and notice how some text is highlighted in purple. It makes things easier to read.

"My Show" page:
The text on this part needs to sell. Right now you're only describing the effects you perform. People don't want to hear about the effects, they want to know the results you produce. Instead of saying "I'm a magician/mentalist" (they already know this since they're on your website) you should say something like "You're probably looking for a top-notch magician for your event." (narrow this down even more once you know who your target audience is).

"Services" page:
If something doesn't add, it detracts. In the stand-up section, you say "This is for people 16 and older ideally." Saying "ideally" at the end doesn't add anything to the text...delete it.


Overall, you should change a lot of the text on your site and add more video (testimonials & performances). I recommend you study "copywriting" and buy a book by Dan Kennedy on copywriting/sales letters

And for more info on building a website...check out the video on my marketing blog... http://paidtoperform.blogspot.com/2011/03/building-your-website.html
 
Nov 8, 2007
1,238
3
Benji took the time to give you some really great advice there, Zac. Hope you'll unplant your feet about changing your site and take what he says on board. I benefited from that post as well. Good stuff, Benji!
 

CaseyRudd

Director of Operations
Team member
Jun 5, 2009
3,393
3,801
Charleston, SC
www.instagram.com
Benji took the time to give you some really great advice there, Zac. Hope you'll unplant your feet about changing your site and take what he says on board. I benefited from that post as well. Good stuff, Benji!

Definitely agree with Mat here. Benji gave profound advice that you should heavily consider and take into action. This man knows his stuff! Zac, be open to a lot of changes that you need to make on your website. In my opinion, you are being a bit stubborn when it comes to design. You need a professional looking web address, not a free website service. You've got to spend money, to make money.

If I were a local in your area, I would not hire you for the reasons Benji pointed out above. You need a professional looking site. Follow his advice, and you are on your way to booking more gigs.
 
Sep 26, 2007
591
5
Tokyo, Japan
I would suggest giving all of your site content to either a professional writer, or perhaps an English teacher in your school to look over and edit for you. As you have read the same sentences over and over again, you are not accustomed to searching for mistakes etc...

Here is just one example:
" Mentalist is just a fancy term for reading minds and doing magic of that nature. "

'mentalist' is a type of person, where as 'readING minds and doING magic' are gerunds (aka noun phrases that do not represent a type of person).

Thus your sentence could either be, "A mentalist is just a fancy term for SOMEONE who reads minds and does magic of that nature," or

"MENTALISM is just a fancy term for reading minds and doing magic of that nature."

In any case, in addition to key points that Benji has pointed out, nuance of vocabulary, vernacular, sentence length, redundancy, ambiguity, etc... are all VERY much important when it comes to creating a professional site.

Lastly, as a word of advice, and for someone that deals with marketing, PR, global sales, and web-design... asking people for feedback but outright saying things like, "I WILL NOT CHANGE..." is starting off yourself on, not only an unprofessional level, but also a condescending one. And, seeing as how it sounds as you are truly serious about making this site a professional one where prospective clients come to to book your services, the things you flat out said you WOULD NOT change, are the first things I would encourage you to change and encourage you to try and understand why.

I do appreciate you always responding to people's suggestions and updating your site regularly taking in that criticism, but just be a little bit careful with how you represent yourself. Impressions made in the first 10 seconds of a face to face meeting, or online representation of yourself as a professional, are strong, and if you give the wrong impression, it becomes extremely difficult to correct that mis-representation.

Cheers,

Eric
 
Jul 10, 2010
277
0
30
McAllen, TX
www.wix.com
Zac,

Do you plan on getting a normal domain instead of the free one? If you want to book gigs then you have to look like you're already booking them...it starts with a normal website like ZMagic.com instead of the Wix website.

The main problem with the website is that there is no "direction"...you don't have a target audience. It says you're a magician but who do you want to perform for? Company events? Kid parties? Trade shows? Your first step is to define your market. Many magicians make the mistake of trying to perform for every market (kid shows, festivals, company events, colleges, trade shows, etc). But if you were having a trade show then who would you hire....a magician who says he does all the above or a magician who says he is the top trade show entertainer in the world?

So your first step is....define your market.

Once you define your market, you need to create a "profile" of the person in that market. For example, lets say you want the kid show market. You create the "average" mom. Her name is Lily. Lily has 2 kids and one of them is having a birthday party. She hasn't hired a magician before and doesn't know what to expect. She doesn't know how much it will cost but she wants someone who is local. Lily works really hard and always feels like she is multitasking...etc etc etc.

You create the profile of the average person in your market and this profile allows you to create the text/copy on your website.

Right now, your home page says "Hello everyone...I hope you're having a wonderful day." That doesn't create a desire to hire you. It doesn't give them any information, etc. If you wanted to do kid shows then you would start by saying "Hi, you came to my website because you're looking for a local magician for your kid's party." (and they think "I sure am")

The Text on your website:
People do not read websites...they scan (this has been researched a lot by copywriters). You want the important text on your website to stand out. Take a look at my website (www.benjibruce.com) and notice how some text is highlighted in purple. It makes things easier to read.

"My Show" page:
The text on this part needs to sell. Right now you're only describing the effects you perform. People don't want to hear about the effects, they want to know the results you produce. Instead of saying "I'm a magician/mentalist" (they already know this since they're on your website) you should say something like "You're probably looking for a top-notch magician for your event." (narrow this down even more once you know who your target audience is).

"Services" page:
If something doesn't add, it detracts. In the stand-up section, you say "This is for people 16 and older ideally." Saying "ideally" at the end doesn't add anything to the text...delete it.


Overall, you should change a lot of the text on your site and add more video (testimonials & performances). I recommend you study "copywriting" and buy a book by Dan Kennedy on copywriting/sales letters

And for more info on building a website...check out the video on my marketing blog... http://paidtoperform.blogspot.com/2011/03/building-your-website.html

Good advice man, I'll use it. I'm using my colleges internet right now, but as soon as I can get my home internet going again I will make the necessary changes. I am just starting out with my NEW show so I am changing a lot. My first High-end booking is in November so I have time to work the kinks out. My show is gonna rock and I can't wait till November for the debut!!! SO EXCITED haha. Keep the tips coming everyone! Can't get enough.
 
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